Vibratile game board and pivoted game discs



y 1968 J. w. RYAN ET AL 3,384,371

VIBRATILE GAME BOARD AND PIVOTED GAME DISCS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 v 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 57 l w M May 21, 1968 J. w. RYAN ET AL 3,384,371

VIBRATILE GAME BOARD AND PIVOTED GAME DISCS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet z M I6 14 6 zz I5 24 g 15 2 50 I 8 I14 I 1 4 5o 0 I? 46 b2 I I4 a0 W#% WMQLM United States Patent 3,384,371 VIBRATILE GAME BOARD AND PIVOTED GAME DISCS John W. Ryan, Bel Air, and Charles Richard Zimmerman, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 510,024 5 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vibratile plate has discs pivotally mounted thereon. A mallet means is included for striking the plate to vibrate it so that some of the discs flip over by swinging about their pivots.

The present invention relates to a vibratile game board and more particularly to such a game board which includes a plurality of disc-like game pieces pivotally mounted on a suitable supporting surface which may be struck by an impact-imparting means for inducing a vibration in the supporting surface, whereby game pieces which are subjected to vibrations of a maximum amplitude will be caused to swing from a first position to a second pos1 tion.

It is well known that the vibrating behavior of a flat plate is complex. A plate having an irregular construction has many modes of vibration characterized by radial I and circumferential lines which are nodes with the phase of the vibration being of opposite signs on each side of the nodes. These principles are employed in a game board of the present invention by using a vibratile plate havmg a complex construction. The plate may be vibrated by striking it with a mallet or impact-imparting means of the present invention. Semi-circular discs are pivotally mounted on the plate in circular counterbores provided thereon. When the plate is struck by the impact-imparting means, it will vibrate in an unpredictable manner having a maximum amplitude in certain portions of the plate and nodes in other portions of the plate. If a vibration has a suflicient maximum amplitude under one or more of the discs, it will cause them to flip over. Since it is impossible to predict where the vibrations will have a maximum amplitude, the discs are caused to flip over in random manner when the plate is vibrated by striking it with the impact-imparting means.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a vibratile game board having game pieces pivotally mounted thereon in such a manner that the game pieces may be pivoted from a first position to a second position when the game board is vibrated in such a manner that the maximum amplitude of a vibration passes under a game piece.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game board of the type described including a plate having an irregular construction formed by providing protuberances on the upper surface of the plate and by making the plate of a non-circular shape, whereby the vibrating behavior of the game board is highly complex.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a game board of the type described which includes game pieces in the form of semi-circular discs pivotally attached to the upper surface of a plate with the upper surface and the game pieces being so designed and arranged that the game pieces are camouflaged when in a first position so that they blend in with the upper surface as a whole.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a game board of the type described which includes mallet means for imparting vibrations to the game board which is provided with an integral holder for holding the mallet while it is not in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vibratile game board having a plurality of semi-circular discs pivotally mounted on a suitable supporting surface which may be tapped to cause the discs to flip over in a random manner.

According to the present invention, game board means is provided which includes a vibratile plate made from a material which does not damp excessively when subjected to vibrations. The plate has a non-circular configuration and includes a depending, encompassing flange which serves as a support for maintaining the plate a suitable distance above a table or the like on which the game is used. The upper surface of the plate is provided with counterbores which are surrounded by protuberance means forming a distinctive pattern. Predeterrnined pairs of the proturberance means serve as trunnions for pivotally mounting semi-circular discs within certain of the counterbores.

In one position within an associated counterbore the upper surface of each disc is painted the same color as the upper surface of all portions of the plate except the semi-circular portion thereof which underlies a particular disc. Thus, the discs in this first position are somewhat camouflaged by blending in with the overall pattern presented by the upper surface of the plate.

When the discs are flipped over by swinging them about their trunnions to a second position, the under surface of each disc is exposed together with the portion of the plate which underlies the disc in its first position. These portions of the disc and the underlying surface are painted a contrasting color so that a circle having a contrasting color is presented when a disc is flipped over. Thus, the illusion is created that the discs are appearing and disappearing as they flip from one position to another position on the surface of the plate.

The game board means also includes a mallet which may be used to strike the plate causing it to vibrate. If the vibrating mode of the plate is such that the maximum amplitude of a vibration passes under a disc, the disc will be caused to flip over. Because of the irregular construction of the plate, it has many modes of vibration characterized by radial and circumferential lines which are nodes with the phase of the vibration being of opposite sign on each side of a particular node. Where a vibration of suflicient magnitude has a maximum amplitude under a particular disc, it flips over. On the other hand, if a node is under a disc, it will not flip over. With practice, a user of the game board can learn where to strike it so that certain ones of the discs will flip over. Striking the plate in the same spot each time makes it vibrate in substantially the same node. Points are scored for each disc which flips over.

The game board includes members which depend from the under surface thereof for retaining the mallet in position under the game board when the mallet is not in use.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a vibratile game board constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of the game board of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional View taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a crosssectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views showing the game board of FIGURE 1 with its associated game pieces in different playing positions.

Referring again to the drawings, a game board constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated 10, includes a vibratile plate 12 which may be struck by a mallet or impact-imparting means 14. This induces vibrations in the plate 12 for the purpose of causing game-piece means 16 to move by swinging from a first position to a second position on the plate 12 when the maximum amplitude of a vibration of sufficient magnitude passes beneath a game piece means 16.

The vibrating behavior of the plate 12 is made more complex by fabricating the plate 12 in a non-circular shape (being shown herein for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, in a hexagonal shape) and by providing the plate 12 with protuberance means 18 which give the plate 12 an irregular construction.

The upper surface 26 of the plate 12 is provided with a plurality of slight counterbores forming circular recesses 22. Three upstanding, pie-shaped lands 2a are provided in each recess 22 in uniformly spaced relationship so K that three pie-shaped recesses 26 will be formed between the lands 24.

A predetermined number of game piece means 16 may be swingably or pivotally mounted within predetermined recesses 22. For example, a game piece means 7 16 may be mounted in each of seven recesses 22a, 22b, 22c, 22:], 22c, 22 and 22g, as shown in FIGURE 1. Each game piece means 16 comprises a semi-circular disc 28 which is formed integrally with a shaft 30 having a first end 32 and a second end 34 (FIGURE 4) for pivotally connecting an associated disc 28 to suitable trunnion means 36 provided adjacent an associated recess 22. Each trunnion means 36 resembles a protuberance 18 so that the trunnion means 36 will be practically indistinguishable from the protuberances 18. Each disc 28 may be swung from a position shown in FIGURE 1 to a position shown in FIGURE 2 for a particular disc 28a in FIG- URE 2. In its FIGURE 1 position, each disc 28 includes a recessed, pie-shaped portion 38 which seats between associated lands 24 provided in the recess 22. The semicircular portions of the recesses 22a-22g which are overlain by the discs 28 in their FIGURE 1 positions are recessed somewhat deeper than the remaining portions of the recesses 22 which do not carry discs 28 so that all of the recesses 22 will appear to be the same when the discs 28 are in their FIGURE 1 positions. This illusion may be heightened by painting the upper surface 40 of each disc 28 and the upper surface of the plate 12 the same color. In addition, the underside 42 (FIGURE 2) of each disc 28 and the semi-circular portion 44 of an associated recess 22a-22g which is uncovered when a particular disc 28 moves to its FIGURE 2 position may be painted a contrasting color so that a user of the game board means 10 may readily determine that a disc 28 has moved from its FIGURE 1 position to its FIGURE 2 position.

The game board means 16 may be supported on a suitable surface, such as the floor or a table or the like, by a flange 46 which encompasses the plate 12 and depends therefrom. The flange 46 includes a plurality of spaced, recessed portions, such as the one shown at 48 in FIGURE 2, forming a plurality of spaced foot-members, such as the one shown at St) in FIGURE 2. The flange 46 may be reinforced by a rib 52 which encompasses the flange 46 as shown in FIGURE 1.

When not in use, the mallet or impact-imparting means 14 may be conveniently stored in association with the plate 12 by engaging the mallet 14 between a plurality of pins 54 which depend from the under side 56 of the plate 12, as shown in FIGURE 6.

The impact-imparting means 14 includes a flexible handle 58 which may be made from wood, plastic or the like and which includes a first end 60 and a second end 62. The end 62 is provided with a head 64 which is preferably made of a soft, rubber-like material to minimize the sound produced when a user of the game 10 grasps the end 60 of handle 58 and strikes the upper surface 20 of the plate 12 with the head 64.

The plate 12 is preferably manufactured from a material, such as plastic, which does not dampen out vibrations when impacted by the mallet 14. Examples of other materials which may be employed are cardboard, thin sheets of wood, thin sheets of metal and rubber under considerable tension. The plate 12 may be caused to vibrate by striking it with the mallet 14 either on a protuberance 18, as shown in FIGURE 2, or within the recesses 22 which are not provided with discs 28. The irregular construction of the plate 12 by virtue of its non-circular shape and the protuberances 18 provided on its upper surfaces 26, results in a rather complex vibrating behavior. Generally, the plate 12 has many vibrating modes which are charactcrized by radial and circumferential lines forming nodes with the phase of the vibration being of opposite signs on each side of a particular node. Whenever the plate 12 is struck a sharp blow with the mallet 14 in such a location that the vibration imparted thereto has a maximum amplitude under any of the discs 28, such a disc will be flipped over to a position opposite from that it assumed before the plate 12 was struck. With practice, a user of the game 10 can learn where to strike the plate 12 so that certain discs 28 will turn over because the striking of plate 12 in the same spot each time makes it vibrate in substantially the same mode. The magnitude of the sharp blow plays an important role in determining the type of vibration established in the plate 12.

A number of different games can be played with the game board 10 by any number of players. For purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, three examples are given as follows:

Example 1 The idea of this game is to move the most discs 28 from their FIGURE 1 positions to the positions shown in FIGURE 2 for the disc 28a without going over 21. A score of one is tallied for each disc which is moved to its FIGURE 2 position. FIGURE 7 indicates diagrammatically that four discs 28 have moved to this position.

Each player takes a turn by first making sure that all discs 23 are in their FIGURE 1 positions so that the contrasting color on the underside 42 does not show. The player then takes the mallet 14 and strikes the plate 12 anywhere between the recesses 28a-23g or on a protuberance 18 and continues tapping until at least one disc 28 flips over to its FIGURE 2 position before scoring. The player then adds up all the discs which are in their FIG- URE 2 positions giving a value of one to each without returning any of the discs 28 to their FIGURE 1 position. Thus, the player would score four points for the tap which produced the FIGURE 7 arrangement. On the same turn, the player taps again and counts the number of discs which are in the FIGURE 2 position and adds them to his last score. The player keeps tapping and adding to his score until he either scores 21 exactly or comes as close to 21 as he thinks he can. The player must not go over 21 or he will lose the game.

When the first player decides to stop, the second player takes his turn by returning all of the discs 28 to their FIGURE 1 positions and then following the same steps which were followed by the first player.

After each player has had one turn, the winner of a round is the player whose score is 21 or the closest to 21, but not over 21. If the score is a tie, another round is played. If desired, 7 rounds may be played to determine who is the overall winner of the game.

Example 2 The object of this game is to turn the discs 28 to their FIGURE 2 positions in such sequence that three discs will be lined up in a single row, as shown in FIGURE 8. This game may be played by two or more players and each player turns down all of the discs 28 to their FIGURE 1 positions at the start of his turn. The player then takes the mallet 14 and strikes the plate 12 once. The player then scores one point for each straight row of three discs. The player taps the plate 12 until at least one disc flips before scoring. Rows may have the center disc 28b in common, as shown in FIGURE 8. During a particular turn, a player gets one extra tap for every row he scores. He does not turn down any discs 28 in between taps. A player may keep tapping and adding to his score as long as he gets three discs lined up in a row, as shown in FIG- URE 8. When a player has no more free taps, it is the next players turn. He starts his turn with all of the discs 28 turned down as shown in FIGURE 1. The first player to get 10 points is declared the Winner and he plays last in the next game.

Example 3 The purpose of this game is to flip as many discs 28 as possible without making the center disc 28b flip. A player takes his turn by turning down all of the discs 28 to their FIGURE 1 positions so that the contrasting color on their undersides 42 does not appear.

The player then takes the mallet 14 and strikes the plate 12 once. If the center disc 28b does not turn to its FIGURE 2 position exposing the contrasting color, the player adds up the other discs which have turned to their FIGURE 2 positions. Each such disc scores one point. The player having his turn must always strike the plate 12 until at least one disc turns to its FIGURE 2 position before scoring. The player must not return any of the discs 28 to their FIGURE 1 positions between taps. A player keeps tapping and adding to his score until the center disc 28b flips to its FIGURE 2 position. The players turn then ends without increasing his score and the next player takes his turn the same way.

The first player to get 30 points is declared the winner and he plays last in the next game.

When the players have finished playing with the game 10, the mallet 14 may be stored on the pins 54, as shown in FIGURE 6.

While the particular vibratile game board herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game board, comprising:

a vibratile plate engageable by impact-imparting means for inducing vibrations in said plate; and

game piece means mounted on said plate for movement by said vibrations, said game piece means having a given numerical value when moved to a predetermined position, said game piece means comprising a plurality of semi-circular discs each pivotally mounted on said plate for pivoting movement from a first position wherein one side of a disc is exposed to a second position wherein said one side is covered.

2. A game board, comprising:

a vibratile plate engageable by impact-imparting means for inducing vibrations in said plate; and

game piece means mounted on said plate for movement by said vibrations, said game piece means having a given numerical value when moved to a predetermined position;

said plate including an upper surface which is provided with a plurality of circuit recesses and a plurality of protuberances, some of said recesses being provided with a semi-circular counterbore exceeding the remaining recesses in depth, whereby said game piece means may be recessed in said deeper portions and swung to a position on top of the adjacent recessed portion by vibrations set up in said plate by said impact-imparting means.

3. A game board for playing a random-numerical game comprising:

a vibratile plate having an upper surface engageable by impact-imparting means for inducing vibrations in said plate;

semi-circular discs rotatably mounted on said upper surface for swinging from a first, closed position to a second, open position, both of said positions being such that said discs lie horizontally on top of said upper surface; and

mallet means for striking said upper surface and inducing vibrations in said plate, said vibrations having a maximum amplitude at unpredicted locations within said plate, said discs flipping over due to said maximum amplitude.

4. A game board as stated in claim 3 including pin means depending from said top wall for storing said mallet when not in use.

5. A game board as stated in claim 3 wherein each of said discs has an upper surface provided with a first predetermined color, said upper surfaces of said discs being exposed to view when said discs are in said closed position, said upper surface of said plate including a mirror-image area corresponding to an associated disc along the pivot line thereof when said discs are in said closed position, each of said mirror-image areas being provided with said first predetermined color, each of said discs including an underside provided with a second predetermined color which is exposed to view when said discs are in said open position, said discs covering an associated mirror-image area when said discs are in said open position, the portion of said upper surface of said plate underlying said discs when they are in said closed position being provided with said second predetermined color, the remaining portion of said upper surface of said plate being provided with said first predetermined color, whereby swinging of a particular disc from said closed position to said open position creates the visual illusion that a circular spot changes color.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,985 9/1939 Levay 273-86.5 2,392,547 1/1946 Plebanek.

3,172,664 3/1965 Lohr et al.

3,180,647 4/1965 Somerville et al.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

